eve in a future life and tremble for sins committed,
can logically fear death; but you, for one thing, don't believe in a
future life, and for another, you haven't committed any sins. You have
served as a Councillor for twenty-five years, that is all.

SORIN. [Laughing] Twenty-eight years!

TREPLIEFF comes in and sits down on a stool at SORIN'S feet. MASHA fixes
her eyes on his face and never once tears them away.

DORN. We are keeping Constantine from his work.

TREPLIEFF. No matter. [A pause.]

MEDVIEDENKO. Of all the cities you visited when you were abroad, Doctor,
which one did you like the best?

DORN. Genoa.

TREPLIEFF. Why Genoa?

DORN. Because there is such a splendid crowd in its streets. When you
leave the hotel in the evening, and throw yourself into the heart of
that throng, and move with it without aim or object, swept along, hither
and thither, their life seems to be yours, their soul flows into you,
and you begin to believe at last in a great world spirit, like the one
in your play that Nina Zarietchnaya acted. By the way, where is Nina
now? Is she well?

TREPLIEFF. I believe so.

DORN. I hear she has led rather a strange life; what happened?

TREPLIEFF. It is a long story, Doctor.

DORN. Tell it shortly. [A pause.]

TREPLIEFF. She ran away from home and joined Trigorin; you know that?

DORN. Yes.

TREPLIEFF. She had a child that died. Trigorin soon tired of her and
returned to his former ties, as might have been expected. He had
never broken them, indeed, but out of weakness of character had always
vacillated between the two. As far as I can make out from what I have
heard, Nina's domestic life has not been altogether a success.

DORN. What about her acting?

TREPLIEFF. I believe she made an even worse failure of that. She made
her debut on the stage of the Summer Theatre in Moscow, and afterward
made a tour of the country towns. At that time I never let her out of my
sight, and wherever she went I followed. She always attempted great
and difficult parts, but her delivery was harsh and monotonous, and her
gestures heavy and crude. She shrieked and died well at times, but those
were but moments.

DORN. Then she really has a talent for acting?

TREPLIEFF. I never could make out. I believe she has. I saw her, but she
refused to see me, and her servant would never admit me to her rooms. I
appreciated her feelings, and did not insist upon a meeting. [A pause]
What more can I tell you?